There are number of situations in which it is desirable to have a paper label with repositional or removable adhesive. One particular effective utilization is where the label is a xe2x80x9cpatchxe2x80x9d in a business form. The intermediate according to the present invention is simple and easy to construct, as is the label precursor formed from the intermediate, and the label configuration pursuant to the invention (whether per se or as a patch in a business form). The label configuration according to the invention may be readily automatically processed, through automatic dispensing equipment, or through printers.
According to one aspect of the present invention an intermediate for making repositional or removable adhesive backed labels is provided. The intermediate comprises the following components: A first paper layer having first and second faces. A liner material layer having first and second faces. A permanent adhesive layer in contact with the first paper layer first face. A repositional or removable adhesive layer in contact with second first paper layer second face and the liner material first face. A permanent adhesive release material layer associated with the liner material second face. And, the liner material first face having a non-highly calendered texture, uncoated with adhesive release material so that the repositional or removable adhesive adheres to the liner material first face even when the intermediate is rolled into a spiral roll configuration, but the repositional or removable adhesive having a higher affinity for the first paper layer second face than the liner material first face.
Typically the release material layer comprises a silicone coating. The repositional or removable adhesive is preferably repositional adhesive. The intermediate may be formed into a spiral roll configuration with the permanent adhesive engaging the release material layer, and unrolled from that configuration to make a label configuration (whether per se or as a patch on a business form) according to another aspect of the invention.
The liner material preferably is as light as possible so that the label constructed will be as thin as possible. In a preferred embodiment the liner material comprises about 25-42 lbs. per five hundred sheet ream (24xe2x80x3xc3x9736xe2x80x3 sheets) weight liner paper, available from a number of conventional sources. The first surface of the liner material is uncoated with adhesive release material and not highly calendered, otherwise the removable or repositional adhesivexe2x80x94preferably when the clean release preferred repositional adhesive according to the present invention is utilizedxe2x80x94would release too easily, and would cause the label to xe2x80x9cpre-dispensexe2x80x9d in printers while traveling around the printer rollers, for example in the printing of business forms where the label is a patch on a form. That is the first face of the liner material has an essentially xe2x80x9cpaperxe2x80x9d texture that is not exceptionally smooth, like highly calendered paper is. However the liner material typically will be calendered to some extent, and in any event will have a lesser affinity for the removable or repositional adhesive than the paper stock does.
The repositional adhesive preferably utilized according to the invention is CLEAN TAC(copyright) adhesive available from Moore Business Communications of Lake Forest, Ill. The intermediate preferably comprises a second paper layer in contact with the permanent adhesive layer to form a label precursor. The second paper layer preferably comprises bond paper having a weight of between about 15-100 lbs. per five hundred sheet ream (17xe2x80x3xc3x9722xe2x80x3 sheets).
According to another aspect of the present invention a label configuration is provided comprising a label precursor as set forth above, and a label die cut out of the label precursor through the second and the first paper layers so that when the label is removed from the label configuration it has a top face which is a face of the second paper layer, and the repositional adhesive defines a bottom face thereof. The label configuration may comprise a plurality of labels in continuous format (separated by lines of weakness if desired), or preferably the second paper layer comprises a business form having an area at least three times as large as the first paper layer (typically even larger than that, for example the second paper layer comprising an 8 xc2xdxc3x9711 inch sheet while the label has a conventional bottle or mailing piece size or the like) as the first paper layer and the liner material so that the label comprises a patch on a business form.
It is the primary object of the present invention to provide an intermediate for constructing a repositional or removable adhesive backed label, and the label configuration so constructed. This and other objects of the invention will become clear from an inspection of the detailed description of the invention and from the appended claims.